T1037.005 - Boot or Logon Initialization Scripts: Startup Items

Description from ATT&CK (opens in a new tab)

Adversaries may use startup items automatically executed at boot initialization to establish persistence. Startup items execute during the final phase of the boot process and contain shell scripts or other executable files along with configuration information used by the system to determine the execution order for all startup items.(Citation: Startup Items)

This is technically a deprecated technology (superseded by Launch Daemon (opens in a new tab)), and thus the appropriate folder, /Library/StartupItems isn’t guaranteed to exist on the system by default, but does appear to exist by default on macOS Sierra. A startup item is a directory whose executable and configuration property list (plist), StartupParameters.plist, reside in the top-level directory.

An adversary can create the appropriate folders/files in the StartupItems directory to register their own persistence mechanism.(Citation: Methods of Mac Malware Persistence) Additionally, since StartupItems run during the bootup phase of macOS, they will run as the elevated root user.

Atomic Tests

• Atomic Test #1 - Add file to Local Library StartupItems

• Atomic Test #2 - Add launch script to launch daemon

• Atomic Test #3 - Add launch script to launch agent

Atomic Test #1 - Add file to Local Library StartupItems

Modify or create an file in /Library/StartupItems Reference (opens in a new tab)

Supported Platforms: macOS

auto_generated_guid: 134627c3-75db-410e-bff8-7a920075f198

Attack Commands: Run with sh! Elevation Required (e.g. root or admin)

sudo touch /Library/StartupItems/EvilStartup.plist

Cleanup Commands:

sudo rm /Library/StartupItems/EvilStartup.plist

Atomic Test #2 - Add launch script to launch daemon

Add launch script to /Library/StartupItems to launch agent Example (opens in a new tab)

Supported Platforms: macOS

auto_generated_guid: fc369906-90c7-4a15-86fd-d37da624dde6

Inputs:

Attack Commands: Run with bash! Elevation Required (e.g. root or admin)

sudo cp #{path_startup_params} /Library/StartupItems/StartupParameters.plist
sudo cp #{path_malicious_script} /Library/StartupItems/atomic.sh
sudo cp #{path_malicious_plist} /tmp/T1037_005_daemon.plist
sudo /Library/StartupItems/atomic.sh start

Cleanup Commands:

sudo launchctl unload /tmp/T1037_005_daemon.plist
sudo rm /tmp/T1037_005_daemon.plist
sudo rm /Library/StartupItems/atomic.sh
sudo rm /Library/StartupItems/StartupParameters.plist
sudo rm /tmp/T1037_005_daemon.txt

Dependencies: Run with bash!

Description: /Library/StartupItems must exist

Check Prereq Commands:

if [ ! -d /Library/StartupItems ]; then mkdir /Library/StartupItems; exit 0; fi;

Get Prereq Commands:

echo "Failed to create /Library/StartupItems"; exit 1;

Description: The shared library must exist on disk at specified location (#{path_malicious_plist})

Check Prereq Commands:

if [ -f #{path_malicious_plist} ]; then exit 0; else exit 1; fi;

Get Prereq Commands:

echo "The plist file doesn't exist. Check the path and try again."; exit 1;

Description: The startup script must exist on disk at specified location (#{path_malicious_script})

Check Prereq Commands:

if [ -f #{path_malicious_script} ]; then exit 0; else exit 1; fi;

Get Prereq Commands:

echo "The startup script doesn't exist. Check the path and try again."; exit 1;

Atomic Test #3 - Add launch script to launch agent

Add launch script to /Library/StartupItems to launch agent Example (opens in a new tab)

Supported Platforms: macOS

auto_generated_guid: 10cf5bec-49dd-4ebf-8077-8f47e420096f

Inputs:

Attack Commands: Run with bash! Elevation Required (e.g. root or admin)

sudo cp #{path_startup_params} /Library/StartupItems/StartupParameters.plist
sudo cp #{path_malicious_script} /Library/StartupItems/atomic.sh
sudo cp #{path_malicious_plist} /tmp/T1037_005_agent.plist
/Library/StartupItems/atomic.sh start

Cleanup Commands:

sudo launchctl unload /tmp/T1037_005_agent.plist
sudo rm /tmp/T1037_005_agent.plist
sudo rm /Library/StartupItems/atomic.sh
sudo rm /Library/StartupItems/StartupParameters.plist
sudo rm /tmp/T1037_005_agent.txt

Dependencies: Run with bash!

Description: /Library/StartupItems must exist

Check Prereq Commands:

if [ ! -d /Library/StartupItems ]; then mkdir /Library/StartupItems; exit 0; fi;

Get Prereq Commands:

echo "Failed to create /Library/StartupItems"; exit 1;

Description: The shared library must exist on disk at specified location (#{path_malicious_plist})

Check Prereq Commands:

if [ -f #{path_malicious_plist} ]; then exit 0; else exit 1; fi;

Get Prereq Commands:

echo "The plist file doesn't exist. Check the path and try again."; exit 1;

Description: The startup script must exist on disk at specified location (#{path_malicious_script})

Check Prereq Commands:

if [ -f #{path_malicious_script} ]; then exit 0; else exit 1; fi;

Get Prereq Commands:

echo "The startup script doesn't exist. Check the path and try again."; exit 1;